Grenache is now gaining more popularity among wine drinkers all over the world, it is but fitting to scrutinize this type of wine to fully appreciate every sip that you take of it and is quickly gaining a reputation as a favored wine for its aroma and flavor. Being equipped with all the necessary information about Grenache wine will definitely help a lot for one to fully digest the real essence of this variety that many cannot seem to resist.

Grenache is a red grape commonly used in Spain and France to concoct high quality red wine. It is actually a nice blending grape for producing sweet variety of red wine. It is fondly called Garnacha in Spain. It has two varieties, known as Garnacha Tinta and Garnacha Blanca. Tinta is the red variety and the more popular.

Grenache noir is sometimes made into a stand-alone varietal but most often as a backbone of red blends. It is the world’s most widely planted grape used in red wine making. Despite being known to have come from France, the fact remains that it is originally from Spain. It is used as primary component in most of the Southern Rhone blends. But it is also used as a component in some of the Northern Rhone red varieties.

The Spanish know this grape and wine as garnacha or garnacha tinta, where it is the dominant red wine variety in Catalonia and prominent in Rioja. Most the different varieties of this wine graps are in Spain than in France. In Italy the grape is known as cannonau. It is more known locally especially in the Mediterranean regions of France. There are different varieties including the colored berries.

In these modern days Australia is now seen to have an extensive planting of Grenache. In fact, it is now known for its red blends of full-bodied Grenache. It is also the third planted variety in California next to Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. But in the past decades it has been surpassed by many merlot plantings. Most of this is used to produce bulk rather than premium wine especially in the Central Valley.

Habitually as an abundant producer of fruit, Grenache will “alternate” a crop of 8 to 10 tons per acre one year and 14 to 16 tons the following year. The vine lends itself well to head or spur pruning as it is very sturdy and woody. It survives arid and drought conditions better. Cool and damp conditions can cause “deadarm” disease in Grenache. It is also susceptible to coulure or shatter.

The grenache grape oxidizes readily as it is relatively low in both pigment and malic acid. It is mostly used to “fill out” red blends and soften harsher partners, such as syrah and carignan. Some 100% varietal wines are produced from Grenache. These are many particularly in Spain’s Rioja and from some “old vines” plantings in California.

The general character and mouth feel of Grenache wines are distinctive and identifiable. It has its own flavor and aroma that is distinctly unique in them. In their youth, Grenache makes fleshy, heady, very fruity wines on its own. They have this tendency to rapidly age. It shows tawny colors and prone to oxidation only after a relatively short time in bottle.

In the 19th century, California wine growers took advantage of the vine’s ability to produce high yields and withstand heat and drought conditions. They planted the grape extensively throughout the hot season. It was most abundant that time in San Joaquin Valley where it was mainly used as a blending component for pale, sweet jug wines.

At that time Grenache was principally used as a main component in the sweet fortified wines which was abundant in early Australian wine industry. The 20th century saw the production of premium varietal Grenache and Rhone style blends.  Grenache was one of the first Vitis vinifera grapes. It was successfully cultivated in the early development of the Washington wine industry. This particular variety of wine grade continues to enjoy the reputation for being one of the best to blend along with some of the acidic and more tunic variety.

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